“It’s amazing, absolutely amazing,” a witness said. “I’ve never seen a whale this close up before.”

Coast Guard and Fish & Wildlife officials were trying to use underwater recordings of natural whale sounds feeding to lure the mammal out.

“It’s heartbreaking to see the whale lost and turned around,” another spectator said. “It’s beautiful to see so close but sad circumstances.”

Authorities say all the spectators and commotion may have agitated the whale further so they decided to back off hoping the whale will find it’s own way out. They will reassess in the morning if the whale is still trapped

It is possible the trapped whale is an adolescent. According to National Geographic, adult humpback whales measure between 48 and 62 feet.